Valentines Day
by My Quiet Riot
Summary: After a typical day of paperwork at the precinct, Mal takes Natara out for a Valentines Day dinner. It's not just any dinner, though; a big surprise is in store. Rated 'T', just in case. Lots of Maltara fluff!
1. Chapter 1: Natara's POV

**Happy Valentines Day, Deathicated! I hope you all had a lovely day! I've been dying to write this, so here it is: Maltara Valentines Day. C: I'm forever alone, but I thought I might as well write something cute. xD I usually write from just Natara's point of view, but I wanted Mal's thoughts in on this, too; so the first 'chapter' will be Natara's POV, and the second will be the same story in Mal's POV. Mal's POV won't be up until tomorrow, sorry. D: **

**Also, their relationship is in sync with the game for this story, meaning this is their first Valentines Day together. C: Let me know what you think, please? Feedback of any sort would be lovely. Enjoy! :D**

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**Chapter One - Natara's POV**

I was in the middle of filling out a mound of paperwork when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me. I glanced up and flashed a smile at Mal, my partner and boyfriend. He smiled back as he stopped in front of my desk, hands behind his back._  
_

"Hey," I greeted, setting down my pen.

"Hey, beautiful," he answered suavely.

"What are you up to?" I asked with humored suspicion.

"Oh, nothing," he responded too-casually, letting the room drop into a lingered silence for a couple of seconds.

"If you say so," I said with a grin, reaching to pick up my pen again. Before I had the chance to continue writing, Mal took another step towards my desk, and I looked up again.

"Just this," he finished. He pulled a mixed bouquet of white lilies and red roses from behind his back, smoothly holding them out in front of me with a charming grin. I accepted them as I felt a huge smile spread across my face.

"Aww, thank you!" I exclaimed with a huge smile as I stood to give him a hug.

"You're welcome," he chuckled, still sporting a grin as he hugged me back.

"I don't suppose I could get you to spare a couple hours tonight, could I?" he questioned endearingly as I pulled away.

"Actually, I'm kind of busy..." I lied, trailing off and trying to hold back laughter.

"Oh," Mal uttered, clearly surprised. His cheerful expression faltered, but he tried to hide it gracefully. "Well, I guess we could-"

"I'm kidding, Mal," I laughed, playfully slapping his arm. "Of course I could spare some time. It just so happens that I'm completely free tonight. Anders is even letting us go early because there aren't any new leads on the Boogeyman case." He laughed, shrugging off the fact that he'd actually believed me.

"Well then, Miss Williams, you're in luck. I'll pick you up at seven. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day." With that, he flashed me one last smile and turned away, exiting the room before I could ask any more questions. It took me several minutes to shake off the huge smile spread across my face and calm my racing heart. From then through the rest of the day, I had a hard time concentrating on the rest of the paper work. I didn't see Mal much throughout the day, but just as I was finishing my last stack of the tedious work, I felt someone watching me. I glanced up and met Mal's ocean blue gaze. He was leaning his shoulder against the door frame, arms crossed, silently observing me.

"What are you doing, Mal?" I asked with a laugh. "That's creepy." My shrugged with a smile.

"I like watching you," he answered simply. I laughed and looked down to hide the slight blush that had crept to my cheeks.

"No, really, what are you doing?" I persisted as I looked back up.

"Anders said we could go once our stacks are turned in," he announced, still leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm on my last sheet," I told him. "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be right out."

"Sounds good," Mal replied with a smile. "I'll wait outside." He turned away and proceeded to the main precinct. I bent over my last sheet of work, quickly finished it, and added it to the stack of completed papers. I hastily handed them in to Anders who dismissed me with a pleased 'good work today'. I grabbed my purse and met Mal by the doors. He held it open for me as I passed through, and I smiled a 'thank you' before heading towards my car. Mal walked to his car, which was parked beside mine, and stopped by the driver's door.

"I'll see you at seven," he reminded me with a grin. "Oh, and dress up," he added. He abruptly got in his car and drove off before I had a chance to say anything else. I laughed as I turned towards my car, climbing in and driving back to my apartment.

Upon arriving at my door, I checked my phone for the time. The digital block numbers flashed '6:01' back at me; I had about an hour to get ready. I took a quick shower and blow-dried my hair, quickly straightening the slightly wavy strands. I applied my usual simple make-up, then went in search of something to wear. Mal had told me to dress nicely, so I dug in the back of my closet for the few dresses I owned. I finally decided on a red dress that I had only worn once before. It was made of silky material and fit comfortably against my hips and stomach. I slid it on and struggled to zip up the back, which took longer than I'd like to admit. It fell just below my knees, and it was held up by thin straps that rested on my shoulders. A band of slightly darker-colored fabric wrapped around me, just above my stomach. It was embroidered with subtle sparkles. I slipped on my matching heels which added another four inches to my height.

I was just spritzing on some perfume when I heard a car horn honk from outside. I peeked out the window to see Mal's car idling outside of my apartment complex, flashing its lights several times. Stopping momentarily to grab my purse, I quickly hurried down the stairs and emerged into the cool evening air. The sun was beginning to set, illuminating the city-scape in streaks of orange and red. Mal got out of his car and met me in the street.

"Hey, Nat– whoa..." he trailed off mid-sentence, and I noticed his eyes widen slightly as he looked me up and down several times, staring for a couple seconds longer than your casual checking-out. I blushed and awkwardly cleared my throat, gaining his attention and a slight flush of the cheeks. He cleared his throat and quickly composed himself.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he stated with a genuine smile, swiftly recovering.

"Thank you," I replied, smiling widely. "You're not so bad yourself," I added, just then noticing how sharp he looked in his tux.

"Thanks," he said with a laugh, opening the car door for me. I got in and said a quick 'thank you' as he shut the door, walking around the car to the driver's side.

"So where exactly are we going?" I questioned, not expecting an answer.

"I don't know," he teased, "I thought you knew." He glanced over and smirked at me, and I rolled me eyes.

"Seriously, Mal," I laughed. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he answered cunningly.

"I hate surprises," I groaned in light annoyance.

"I know," he smirked again, clearly trying to irritate me. I sighed and leaned back in my seat, allowing comfortable silence to settle between us. After a few minutes, I reached out and turned on the radio. The opening chords of 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz filled the speakers, flooding the car with a light, upbeat sound. As the lyrics began, Mal started singing along.

"Well you done done me and you bet I felt it," he sang, briefly glancing away from the road to look at me as the next line came. "I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted," he continued with a suggestive smirk. I laughed and rolled my eyes, turning towards the window. Mal laughed and turned back to the road. As the chorus began, I turned towards him and started singing with the music.

"I won't hesitate no more, no more; It cannot wait, I'm yours," I sang. He glanced over at me and smiled, laughing lightly before turning back towards the road. The song ended, and another song began to play, which Mal immediately began to sing along to. As the song reached what I assumed was the chorus, I felt Mal look over at me again.

"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, because you're amazing just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, because you're amazing just the way you are." I smiled at him, turning away to hide the blush on my face.

Several more songs played, and Mal and I alternately sang to each other, smiling and laughing as Mal pulled up in front of a fancy-looking restaurant. He turned off the car and quickly walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for me and taking my hand as he helped me out.

"Thank you," I smiled, taking his hand as we walked in. After waiting for several minutes, a well-dressed waiter approached us and led us to a booth towards the back of the restaurant. A large bay window opened up to a beautiful view of the ocean. Mal pulled my chair out for me and I sat down, flashing him another smile as he took a seat across from me. We ordered drinks and the waiter returned minutes later, ready to take our order. Mal and I both ordered pasta dishes with salad, thanking the waiter as he turned back towards the kitchen.

We idly talked as we waited for our food, cracking bad jokes and laughing at them. The waiter returned with our food, and we thanked him as he turned away to wait on another table. As we were finishing up, the waiter returned and asked if we needed anything else. Mal eyed me, then leaned towards the waiter, motioning for him to come closer. He whispered something inaudible in his ear, and the waiter pulled back, nodding with a smile.

"Of course, sir," the waiter replied. He turned and quickly scurried back to the kitchen.

"What was that about?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Never mind that," he dismissed with a smirk. I sighed but let it go as we continued talking. Ten minutes later, the waiter returned with a plate in hand. He set a huge piece of chocolate cake in front of us, and gave us each a fork.

"Enjoy," the waiter chimed with a smile.

I glanced down at it and noticed 'I love you!' written across it in pink icing. I glanced up at him and smiled, and he smiled back. We both eagerly dug in, devouring the cake in less than ten minutes. The waiter came back and handed us the tab, and Mal slid his credit card into the billing folder. When his card was returned, he stood and offered me his hand.

"You wanna go outside?" he asked, motioning towards the door that opened up onto a patio that led down to the ocean. I nodded with a grin, and he led me out the door and into the evening air. The sun was setting, and gorgeous shades of orange and pink were painted across the vast sky.

"Wow," I commented, staring out into the ocean where the colors of the sky reflected in the gentle waves. A light breeze blew through, blowing my hair over my shoulder. I involuntarily shivered, and Mal stepped up beside me, sliding his arm around me and pulling me close to his side. I looked up at him and met his warm gaze. The colors of the ocean seemed to reflect in his eyes as he smiled at me, and I smiled back. I leaned my head against his shoulder, relaxing into his side. We stood like that for a few minutes, before Mal gently disengaged himself from me and took my hand, leading me out towards the sparkling water. I paused to remove my heels, as walking across sand in heels was just asking for a disaster. Mal took my hand again as I tossed my shoes off to the side. We stood hand-in-hand, just before the point where the water lapped at the sand. We stared out at the setting sun, mesmerized by the stunning colors of the sky and water.

"Beautiful, huh?" Mal suddenly said.

"Yeah," I replied, still enchanted by the array of colors around us. "The ocean is beautiful, and the colors-" Mal cut me off mid-sentence.

"I wasn't talking about the scenery, though now that you mention it, it does look quite nice," he joked, pretending to just notice the fact that we were standing on a beach, watching the sun set. I laughed and rolled my eyes, turning back to the ocean as the breeze tossed my hair behind my shoulder again. When I still felt Mal's eyes on me, I turned towards him again.

"What?" I asked, meeting his charming gaze. He looked a little nervous, and I briefly wondered why; but I quickly dismissed it, focusing on the look in his eyes. We locked eyes and stared at each other, completely lost in the moment. I have no idea how long we stood there for, but suddenly, Mal took a seemingly-nervous breath in and his gaze snapped to something beyond me.

"Hey, look over there!" he exclaimed, still looking behind me. I turned around to see what he was pointing at, but saw nothing. I eyed the beach around me, but still saw nothing. I started to turn back towards him, saying that there was nothing there.

"Mal, I don't see any-" My breath caught in my throat as I turned back towards Mal. He was not standing where I left him when I turned around; instead, he was on one knee in the sand, pulling a small, velvet box from inside his suit.

"Oh my God," I gasped as my hand flew to my mouth. Mal smiled up at me from his place on the sandy ground, his eyes sparkling in the light of the sun's setting rays. The orange and pink of the sky mixed in with the blue in his eyes, momentarily mesmerizing me as I stared into them. I felt butterflies in my stomach, sending a shiver through my body. Mal was the only one who could make me feel like that.

"Natara," he started, regaining my attention. "Ever since we locked eyes that day out by Fisherman's Wharf, I knew there was something special about you. I didn't know what it was, and I didn't know what it meant; but I knew I wanted to get to know you. By the end of that first day, I was already impressed by your work on the field; but over the years, I've discovered your amazing work ethic is not the only impressive thing about you. Through working side-by-side with you every day, I've learned just how amazing you are. You're brave, smart, witty, and absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but you mean so much to me, and you know I'm willing to risk everything for you. You're my best friend, and I love you more than words could express, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. With that said, Natara,"–he paused as he opened the velvet box, revealing a sparkling diamond ring–"Will you marry me?"

I removed my hand from my mouth as I lit up in a huge smile, ecstatically nodding as I pushed hair away from my face.

"Yes," I exclaimed, allowing a rare squeal-like noise to escape from my mouth. "Of course I will marry you." Mal beamed at me as he stood, sliding the ring on my left hand. I reached up and hugged him, nearly knocking him over into the sand as tears of joy spilled from my eyes. He hugged me back, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around. I laughed as he set me back down, colliding his lips with mine. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as his slid around my waist. As we pulled away, I heard an eruption of applause and cheers. I whirled around to find a small crowd of people gathered on the restaurant's patio, all applauding and cheering as they observed us. I noticed the waiter who had served us standing off to the side, arms crossed and nodding in approval, a cheerful grin crossing his face.

Mal and I both laughed and smiled at them as we turned back to each other, embracing again.

"I love you," I murmured as we pulled away again.

"I love you, too," Mal replied with a huge grin, reaching out and wiping joyful tears off my cheeks.

In that moment, I finally felt something click; something I had felt missing my entire life had finally been given to me. As I stood there on the beach with Mal, waves lapping at our feet, sun setting around us, and a sparkling promise on my finger, I knew that piece of the hypothetical puzzle had clicked into place. Nothing else in that moment mattered; the cheers of the crowd seemed to disappear as Mal's gaze locked passionately with mine, his eyes shining with the fiery vigor that I knew we shared. Everything felt so right as we kissed again, wrapping our arms around each other. As the last of the sun's rays slowly dropped below the horizon, I pulled away and leaned my forehead against his.

"Happy Valentines Day, Natara," Mal murmured softly, taking both my hands in his.

"Happy Valentines Day, Mal," I returned.

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**And there you go; I hope you liked it! As I said, Mal's POV will be up tomorrow. Please ignore the fact that Mal proposing on their first Valentines Day is extremely quick and makes no sense; I just couldn't write this without making him propose. :D Feedback, please? C:**


	2. Chapter 2: Mal's POV

**Whelp, here it is, guys: Mal's POV for the Valentines Day one-shot. I realize it's not really a one-shot now, but whatever. XD Also, I know the dinner date is cliche, but I wasn't very creative when I wrote this, so oh well. XD Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you like Mal's POV!**

**Oh, and don't worry; I'll be updating _Beginning Again_ very soon!**

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**Mal's POV**

I walked into the office of my partner and girlfriend, Natara Williams. Behind my back, I held an intermixed bouquet of red roses and her favorite flower, white lilies. She glanced up as I walked in and greeted me with a smile. I smiled back, heart immediately skipping a beat.

"Hey," she said, setting her pen down on her desk.

"Hey, beautiful," I greeted smoothly, smiling as her eyes subtly lit up.

"What are you up to?" she questioned, a playful glint of suspicion in her hazel-colored eyes.

"Oh, nothing," I replied with an overly-casual smile. I purposely let the room fall into silence. Just as she was about to give up and turn back to her work, I pulled the flowers out from behind my back.

"Just this," I announced, holding the flowers out in front of me. Her face lit up in a bright smile, and she immediately jumped up.

"Aww, thank you!" she exclaimed, smiling broadly as she gave me a hug.

"You're welcome," I laughed as I happily hugged her back.

"I don't suppose I could get you to spare a couple hours tonight, could I?" I asked charmingly as she pulled away.

"Actually, I'm kind of busy," she began. My heart dropped, but I tried to hide it.

"Oh, well I guess we could–"

"I'm kidding, Mal," she laughed, playfully slapping my arm. I laughed to, rolling my eyes and shrugging off embarrassment.

"Of course I could spare some time," she continued. "It just so happens that I'm completely free tonight. Anders is even letting us go early because there aren't any new leads on the Boogeyman case."

"Well then, Miss Williams, you're in luck. I'll pick you up at seven. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day," I added, flashing her one last smile before turning around and exiting the room.

Trying to concentrate for the rest of the day was torture; all I could think about was Natara and my plans for later. I finally finished my last stack of paper work, breathing a sigh of relief as I stood to turn them in. Having handed my pile of papers in, Anders dismissed me for the night. I quickly thanked him and made my way over to Natara's office. Her head was bent down over the papers on her desk. She was biting her lip and her brow was slightly furrowed; she always did that when she was concentrating hard, and I personally found it adorable. I didn't want to interrupt her, so I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe and silently watched her. After a couple minutes, I shifted my position and she glanced up, meeting my gaze.

"Mal, what are you doing?" she asked with a laugh. "That's creepy."

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. "I like watching you," I replied simply. She laughed and looked down; though she tried to hide it, I knew she was trying to control a blush.

"No, really," she laughed as she looked back up. "What are you doing?"

"Anders said we could go once our stacks are turned in," I stated, shifting my position against the doorframe.

"I'm on my last sheet," she told me. "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be right out."

"Sounds good," I said. I smiled at her before turning away to wait for her in the main precinct. Several minutes later, Natara met me by the doors, purse in hand. I pulled the door open for her and she flashed me a 'thank you' smile. We headed towards our cars that were parked side-by-side. I stopped by mine, hand on the handle of the driver's side door.

"I'll see you at seven," I smiled as I opened my car door. "Oh, and dress up." With that, I got in my car, started the ignition, and drove away before she had the chance to speak. I glanced in the rearview and smiled to myself as I watched her slightly confused face recede behind me. I drove in silence, anticipating what I was planning to do tonight. I arrived back at my apartment and took a quick shower, freshening up from the long day in the precinct. I dressed myself in a tuxedo, struggling for longer than I'd admit in an attempt to tie my tie. Natara usually helped me with such things, but I didn't exactly have her there at the moment.

I ran a comb through my hair several times, trying to shake out the rest of the moisture from the shower. I took the little velvet box from my dresser and slid it into the inner pocket of my tux, fingering it for a moment before letting it rest in the fabric. I grabbed my wallet, making sure it had more than enough cash for that night. I wanted it to be perfect, and forgetting my money would definitely be a mood-killer.

Glancing at my phone, I grabbed my keys and walked back out to my car. I drove to Natara's apartment, and took a deep breath before honking several times and flashing the car's lights. Less than a minute later, the door to the apartment complex opened, and Natara stepped out. I got out of my car and met her in the street.

"Hey, Nat– whoa..." My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her, looking her up and down several times and probably staring for longer than I should have. She cleared her throat and I snapped out of it, noticing the blush on her face. I awkwardly cleared my throat as well, quickly composing myself.

"You look absolutely beautiful," I stated, smiling as she blushed slightly.

"Thank you," she replied with a grin. "You're not so bad yourself." She motioned to my tux and tie, which I had _finally_ managed to tie with the help of a YouTube video.

"Thanks," I laughed, opening the car door for her to slide in.

"Thank you!" she chirped. I smiled as I shut the door and walked around the car to the driver's side.

"So where exactly are we going?" she asked once we were on the road.

"I don't know," I teased with a playful smile. "I thought you knew." She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Seriously, Mal, where are we going?" she persisted.

"It's a surprise," I answered with a devious grin.

"I hate surprises," she groaned in feigned annoyance.

"I know," I said with a smirk, trying to irritate her. She sighed and leaned back in her seat as comfortable silence passed between us. After several minutes, Natara reached out and turned the radio on. A familiar song began playing, and as the light chords filled the silence, I started singing along.

"Well you done done me and you bet I felt it," I sang, glancing at her. "I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted," I continued with a suggestive smirk. She rolled her eyes but laughed, turning back towards the window. I laughed, too, as I directed my attention back to the road. As the chorus began, I felt her eyes turn on me.

"I won't hesitate no more, no more; it cannot wait, I'm yours," she sang. I glanced over at her and laughed, flashing her a smile before turning back to the road. As the song ended, another familiar tune began. As the song reached its chorus, I sang out loud. I meant every word I sang, whether or not she caught on to that.

"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, because you're amazing just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, because you're amazing just the way you are." She smiled at me, but quickly turned away; not before I caught the enormous blush on her cheeks, though.

As several more songs played, Natara and I took turns singing to each other, smiling and laughing constantly. We eventually pulled up in front of the fancy restaurant I had picked out. I turned off the car and quickly exited, walking around to open the door for Natara. I took her hand and helped her out, then walked hand-in-hand into the restaurant.

We were only waiting for several minutes before a waiter approached and led us to a book. I glanced out the large bay window that opened up to a rather nice view of the shore as I pulled her chair out for her. She flashed me another smile as I took a seat across from her. We ordered drinks and the waiter quickly returned, drinks in hand, ready to take our order. We both ordered pasta dishes with a salad, thanking the waiter as he turned away again.

We exchanged idle chatter as we waited for our food, telling each other bad jokes and laughing at how dumb they were. Soon enough, the waiter returned with our food. We thanked him as he nodded and walked off to another table. As we were finishing up our meal, the same waiter returned and asked if we needed anything else. I glanced over at Natara, then leaned towards the waiter, motioning for him to come closer. He leaned down slightly, and I quickly whispered in his ear.

"Could I get a large slice of chocolate cake, please? And could you write 'I love you' on it with frosting or something?" I quickly whispered.

"Of course, sir," the waiter replied with a nod and smile. He quickly scurried back to the kitchen, retrieving what I had asked for.

"What was that about?" Natara asked with suspicion.

"Never mind that," I disregarded with a smirk. She sighed but chose to let it go, continuing our prior conversation. Ten minutes later, the waiter returned with my request.

"Enjoy!" the waiter chimed with a friendly smile. I thanked him with a smile and nod, watching Natara's expression as she read the 'I love you' written in pink icing. She glanced up at me and smiled shyly, and I smiled back. Both of us ate eagerly, and though I'm not the biggest chocolate fan, I will admit: it was really good. The waiter dropped off the tab, and I slid my credit card into the billing folder after quickly glancing it over. When my card was returned, I stood up and offered her my hand.

"You wanna go outside?" I asked, motioning towards the back door which opened to a patio with a walkway that led down to the ocean. She nodded with a grin and allowed me to lead her outside. The sun was setting, and shades of orange and pink filled the sky.

"Wow," Natara commented as she stared out into the ocean. I noticed the way the colors of the sky reflected on the water, and it was admittedly pretty; but I was more interested in who was standing beside me. A light breeze blew through, gently tossing her hair over her shoulder and causing her to shiver. I did my best not to stare as I stepped closer to her, sliding my arm around her and pulling her to my side. We stood like that for a few minutes before I gently disengaged myself from her and grabbed her hand. I led her out towards the water where the waves lapped at the sand. She paused to remove her heels before resuming her hold on my hand, tossing the heels to the side. We stood in the sand, hand-in-hand, and watced the sun set below the horizon. I looked over at her, smiling at her mesmerized expression.

"Beautiful, huh?" I suddenly said, not taking my eyes off her.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "The ocean is beautiful, and the colors–" I cut her off mid-sentence, laughing as she glanced up at me.

"I wasn't talking about the scenery, though now that you mention it, it does look quite nice," I joked, pretending to just notice the setting sun. She laughed and rolled her eyes before turning back to the water. I continued to stare at her, and she eventually turned back towards me.

"What?" she asked with a laugh. I tried not to show my nervousness as our eyes locked. I gazed into her eyes, lost in the moment and their hazel depths. Mustering up the courage, I took a quick, nervous breath before snapping my gaze beyond her.

"Hey, look over there!" I exclaimed in mock-excitement. There was nothing there, of course, but I needed time to reach into my suit without looking weird. She turned around and surveyed the scene, finding exactly what was there: nothing unusual. As she turned back to me, I quickly pulled out the velvet box from the hidden pocket of my suit.

"Mal, I don't see any–" Her breath caught in her throat as she turned back around, finding me on one knee.

"Oh my God," she gasped, hand flying to her mouth. I smiled up at her, momentarily captivated at how beautiful she looked as the sun glinted off her coffee-colored hair just so. She seemed to be in a trance for a moment, so I said her name to regain her attention.

"Natara," I started as her eyes focused back on me. "Ever since we locked eyes that day out by Fisherman's Wharf, I knew there was something special about you. I didn't know what it was, and I didn't know what it meant; but I knew I wanted to get to know you. By the end of that first day, I was already impressed by your work on the field; but over the years, I've discovered your amazing work ethic is not the only impressive thing about you. Through working side-by-side with you every day, I've learned just how amazing you are. You're brave, smart, witty, and absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but you mean so much to me, and you know I'm willing to risk everything for you. You're my best friend, and I love you more than words could express, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. With that said, Natara,"–I paused as I opened the velvet box, revealing the sparkling diamond ring I had carefully picked out, admittedly with Neha's help–"Will you marry me?"

She removed her hand from over her mouth as her demeanor lit up in a huge smile. She ecstatically nodded, eyes lighting up in joy.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. I smiled at the rare squeal she held in her voice. "Of course I will marry you." Beaming, I stood and slid the ring onto her left ring finger. She reached up and excitedly hugged me, nearly causing me to lose my balance. I hugged her back, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around several times. She laughed as I set her back down, noticing tears of joy running down her cheeks. I eagerly kissed her, and I felt her kiss back. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and I slid mine around her waist. After several moments, we pulled away, only to be met by an eruption of applause and cheers. We both whirled around to find a small crowd of onlookers gathering at the patio, all applauding and cheering as they observed us. The waiter who had served us stood off to the side, nodding and grinning his approval. We both laughed and smiled at them before simultaneously turning back to each other, embracing once again.

"I love you," she murmured as we pulled back, a radiant smile on her face.

"I love you, too," I replied softly, grinning as I wiped tears off her cheeks.

All I could think about at that moment was the feeling of something clicking into place. She pulled me back up just when I thought I was going to sink, and she lit up my life on a daily basis. Nobody else made my heart race the way she did; I knew her and I were meant to be. As our eyes locked again, our lips collided once again. The crowd's cheers seemed to evaporate, leaving only her and I on the beach, arms around each other. Natara pulled away and leaned her forehead against mine, staring passionately into my eyes.

"Happy Valentines Day, Natara," I murmured softly, taking both of her hands in mine.

"Happy Valentines Day, Mal," she returned.


End file.
